Advice

Thoughtful partnerships between employees and employers is the theme of 2019.

As seen in U. S. News

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU. This mantra fuels the spike in job seeking that happens during the first three months of any new year. For employers struggling to hire and maintain teams in the midst of historic low unemployment, conditions have never been more challenging (and expensive).

That’s why companies develop strategies to keep employees satisfied and working hard. Employee engagement is defined both as the extent to which workers are committed to their jobs and the programs employers use to strengthen that commitment.

Surveys of thousands of job seekers and hiring managers through national recruiting firm Collegial Services revealed top employee engagement trends for 2019. READ MORE

If you need to submit a resume to get your next job, you are not “visionary.”

As seen in U. S. News

WHEN IT COMES TO JOB applications, grandstanding is rampant. Candidates realize that even their most interesting, insightful and valid points will have no influence unless hiring managers pay attention to their materials. Fear of being ignored has prompted job seekers to overdose on descriptive language. Unfortunately, when someone takes this too far in a resume or on LinkedIn, the resulting attention may not be the kind that gets a person hired.

Although it is tempting to use hyperbole to advance your candidacy, resist the urge. Empty statements will not yield benefits but may get you dismissed for being unrealistic. READ MORE

Look into highlighting career objectives, changing the layout and eliminating errors on your resume.

As seen in U. S. News

The start of the year is a time of renewed conviction to improve professionally, and many workers change jobs within the first several months of a new year.

As you enter 2019, here are four things you can update on your resume to prepare for a possible career change this year.

1. Your career objective. I know. Implying that your resume has an “Objective” seems taboo per modern standards. However, even if you don’t write “Objective” on your resume, it needs a professional purpose. You need to determine if you are targeting more of the same or looking to change your role, responsibilities or industry.

If you overlook these qualifications, you are not likely to get an offer.

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YOU WORKED DILIGENTLY at your job to develop expert-level skills and qualifications. Your experience and knowledge match the job description exactly. You thought for sure you were perfectly suited for a role – and then you get the crushing news that someone else was hired.

You had an impeccable background – so why the rejection? In short, skills alone are not enough to get you hired. Here are three traits hiring managers seek that applicants often overlook.

Are you compatible?

Assessing compatibility is trickier than it sounds. On the surface, you might think this is about likability, but it has many more layers. READ MORE

Students who focus on expanding their career networks and knowledge in advance will have more options.

As seen in U. S. News

“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” Famous Chinese military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu likely was not thinking about careers after college when he penned this, but his sentiment is spot-on motivation for college students as they approach the middle of the fall semester.

One trait shared by many satisfied and successful professionals is dedication to expanding knowledge in advance and building relationships before actually needing to use them. In other words, people who focus on expansion have a much wider network and range of options than those who procrastinate. Not only do they reap greater benefits, but they also expend less energy and experience less stress in acquiring these assets. READ MORE